Have any of you reacted to shellfish or fish just from inhaling the smell?

Ask because it happened to me as I stood at a stove, yakking with a chef who threw a big batch of shrimp into a dish she was cooking. Within minutes, hives and throat tightening. I'd never had a reaction without eating before.

I can relate,... to chicken tho. It is one of the hardest things to do, especially in restraunts (or in my case school and the cafeteria). I also have an allergy to tuna and so far that one is only contact and ingestion... crossing fingers that it does not become inhalation.

Thanks for the nice words. In fact, it wasn't my nastiest reaction by any means. I was just really taken aback. Now if i'm at a restaurant and a friend sitting across from me starts to order the steamed mussels, I get to tell her/him - forget about it. No facials in crustacean mist for me.

Oh course, there was that time I was having a job interview over lunch and the waiter brought me the shrimp omelette by mistake. Nothing like sitting with the potential boss who insists on letting his lunch go cold while they make you a new lunch. In the end, I didn't take the job. Perhaps the omelette was a sign... /gwen

I try at all costs to avoid being near seafood/shellfish restaurants or open markets. The smell is horrible. I find the worst is going in the supermarket where they have the nuts out in the open (christmas season is bad) My eyes water, throat gets really itchy, breathing problems, and problems swallowing.
Jamie

I have a inhalant anaphyliaxis to Shellfish and some fish.
This has become a problem as I became really terriffied.
I had my last reaction to Clam Chowder in March and I would not of gone to the place if I knew they were making that for their Charity Soup.
Two years ago I barely made it to the hospitial in time from Shrimp.
I know someone who is anaphylaixis to oranges, when they are being peeled she reacts.
Good luck

Your level of sensitivity sounds tricky/scary. When you say 'barely made it to the hospital to years ago' - if you don't mind my asking - was that after an Epi injection or did you not have one on you?

We were close enough to arrive in 5 minutes to the Hosp.
We did not use my Epi pen and the Doctor at the Hosp. made a real fuss about this.
My GP had me use my Epi pen on a grapefruit and gave me a prescription of two.
I must carry them both at all times.
We were shocked that this had happened as I did not know they would have Shrimp at the Home we went to. I had explained and thought they understood that I had anaphylaixis.
The Shrimp was two years ago, only four days before Sabrinia Shannon's death.
I had not been exposed to Shrimp for I do not know how many years.
Also around my area the 911 is not to reliable, they can be very slow, and get lost.

Kelly, you say that the home you went to should have known not to have shrimp, given your anaphylaxis. But I don't think most people realize that even inhaling proteins can cause some us (and it isn't all of we no-shellfish types) to react. Heck, I'm anaphylactic to shrimp and I didn't even know that until it happened to me.

Really glad to hear you have two Epis, given that dodgy emerg situation.

My Husband also contacted the people and they are Nurses that he works with
I was told there would not be any at the home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They had shrimp at house and did not want to tell us,
they had been eatting it all day and we came at the evening.
They are Health Proffessionals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think most people realize that even inhaling proteins can cause some us (and it isn't all of we no-shellfish types) to react.

I think that people would be more sensitive to peoples' concerns about inhaling allergens if the medical community recognized this type of reaction as a real medical problem. Doctors in my experience are hesitant to credit reports of inhalation reactions because there have been no reliable medical studies on the issue. In spite of the fact that some people do react or even go into anaphylactic shock when someone cooks fish or opens a jar of peanut butter in their vicinity, inhalation reactions are widely dismissed as psychosomatic. I think it would be great for this magazine to do a feature article on inhalation reactions to raise awareness on this issue. Even Anaphylaxis Canada (whose work I fully support) list inhalation reactions to peanuts as one of the "myths" about allergies which need to be dispelled.

I should have clarified the fact that Anaphylaxis Canada is not in fact claiming that inhalation reactions do not happen at all. Their 'Quiz' is based on a study they undertook on 32 people with peanut allergies. But they do imply that inhalation reactions are a 'myth'. I personally don't think that a study based on only 32 people provides enough information to distinguish with confidence between allergy 'myths' and 'allergy realities.'

Even Anaphylaxis Canada (whose work I fully support) list inhalation reactions to peanuts as one of the "myths" about allergies which need to be dispelled

It's not a myth. It's fact. I knew a kid when I was 4 who ended up in the hospital just because someone opened a peanut butter jar at school. I don't react that violently but I will start to cough and have trouble breating and have something that ressembles an asthma attack but my meds are not as effective as usual.

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